


Mistake

by juujuujellyfish



Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-27
Updated: 2014-06-19
Packaged: 2018-01-20 23:12:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1529276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/juujuujellyfish/pseuds/juujuujellyfish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a night of drinking among the students, Chihiro realizes that a dire mistake has been made and Mondo has learned in the worst way possible the secret the programmer has been hiding for so long. Chihiro revisits the memories of the night in attempts to make sense of the sudden attraction, desperately wanting to fix the mistake that could air out the programmer's dirty laundry. AU/Pre-despair.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is something that I brought over from fanfiction.net, so the entire story is already posted there, so I will be posting chapters pretty quickly as this is technically already finished elsewhere. First time writing anything for this series. I get a little confused at which name to call them, their first or last, so I just call them by what I hear them call one another the most. Also we're going to pretend that pre-despair, their principal was really lenient with the students because he figured they were responsible and intelligent despite their young ages. And they live within the academy so they can do what they want! Yes, we will just go with that. Enjoy. Oh, and hopefully it doesn't get confusing with the switching back and forth from present to past. All comments and reviews are appreciated!

There he was, crying again. Just like he always did when any little thing went wrong. Except this wasn't just any little thing. This was huge. This was an accident. No one was supposed to know. Sitting up in bed, Chihiro furiously brushed his messy bangs out of his face as he stared with blurred vision at the man before him. His head spun from the speed at which he rose as he pressed a shaking had against his stomach in attempts to not throw up again. "I-I-I'm sorry…"

"You're sorry…?! You… you lied to me!"

"I didn't lie…" the smaller boy stammered from atop his messy bed, his entire body shaking from head to toe. He was sweating profusely, both from embarrassment and alcohol intake. The power in the other man's voice was enough to raise Chihiro's temperature and more tears welled in his pale hazel eyes. "Stop crying," he thought to himself, but it never worked. Just thinking of how scared he was sent him over. He dropped his blushing face into his palm, sobbing loudly. "I just…"

With a large huff, the man before him shook his fist in Chihiro's direction. "You knew where this was going and you didn't say a fuckin' thing!" The words shook the smaller of the two down to the bone and all he could do was cry. Cry and suppress the urge not to get sick again. "You lied!"

"I didn't ask you to kiss me!" the blonde shouted through thick sobs, this time using both hands to cover his face, which tingled with anger and disappointment. He wasn't the kind to get angry, but he couldn't help it. He was angry at himself, at the situation. How could he be so stupid? "Mondo, please, just…"

"No!" Mondo bellowed and for a moment, Chihiro was thankful that the walls were sound proof, because that simple shout was enough to shake the walls. The slam of the door following after almost knocked a picture lose from his nearby dresser. He stared at the closed door through soaked vision, his cheeks flushed with bright red anger. His tears felt hot with desperation as he finally threw himself from the bed, racing to the door. Instead of flinging it open, however, he locked it tight to avoid anyone else making their way in. Even Mondo, although he was sure the man was never coming back.

The sudden jolt to his feet reminded him about how unsteady he had been and his body spun fast like the fan hanging from the wall. He was going to be sick for at least the fourth time tonight. He turned on his heel, nearly tripping over his coat, which was lying on the floor, and made haste towards the bathroom. The light was still on from earlier and he dropped to his knees before the toilet, purging whatever was left in his stomach inside.

After a moment of being on the floor, he had finally gotten enough out of his system that he was able to stand. He grabbed the bathroom counter and pulled himself to his shaking feet, blindly searching for his tooth brush which was been idly thrown aside earlier. He stared at himself in the mirror, seeing a stupid, trembling little girl that he had lead everyone to believe was true. No one knew he was a boy… well, now someone did.

Today was Kiyotaka Ishimaru's birthday, and the headmaster had always given them permission to celebrate their birthdays basically however they chose to as long as they didn't leave the academy. Many of them didn't leave the academy often as they traveled far just to get there, which in turn meant missing out on celebrating important occasions with their families. So their treat was spending their birthday however they chose, which usually lead to a night of heavy underage drinking which resulted in silly mistakes such as falling down the stairs or jumping into the pool with all their clothes on. Nothing ever too dangerous and so far no one had done anything really stupid.

Until now. Chihiro whipped on the faucet, sliding his toothbrush beneath the stream of water as he groggily searched for the toothpaste. Not everyone always drank when they got the chance. Togami indulged himself in maybe a glass of wine, but would never be so brainless as to let his calm, dominant behavior slip before the others. Sakura always chose to opt out, instead becoming the chaperone for the others should things turn sour, such as Asahina throwing herself and Hagakure into the pool fully clothed. Kirigiri didn't like the taste of alcohol, and Fukawa was too much of a bumbling mess to want to touch it. Others sipped casually, and some took it as a challenge. Particularly Mondo and Ishimaru. They took everything as a challenge, and initially it had started as a competition just to see who was the better man, but eventually they solved their bull headed, dominant issues, and now everything was just "friendly" competition.

Staring at himself in the mirror as he brushed the remnants of lemonade flavored booze from his teeth, he noticed the mascara running from his eyes which were red with disappointment. The girls had done him up before the party, as they always did. He didn't care much for makeup, despite using women's clothing as a cover up for his weakness. It always seemed like an unnecessary hassle for sitting around in a classroom or hanging around people you see on a daily basis, but for a chance to fit in with the girls and further bury his secret, he did most of what they asked. But now he just looked like a mess. He didn't look cute. He didn't look pretty. He looked disgusting. Felt it, too.

Chihiro was usually one of the ones who didn't drink. He felt obligated to watch over the others if they got too sick, or if anyone spilled anything on the nice floors, or accidentally kicked over a chair in their drunken stupor. Plus, he had never had anything more than champagne from his father once when he was young as they celebrated the New Year. It tasted awful, and even just a sip was enough to make him want to vomit, so he never tried again, even though given the opportunity multiple times over the year or so at the academy. But tonight felt different. For whatever reason, he felt as though he needed to be one of the guys, despite that everyone thought he was a girl.

So instead of sitting in the background, grabbing drinks for anyone who asked, or walking any of the girls to the bathroom if they started to feel light headed from one too many wine coolers, he grabbed a cup of something Junko whipped up (said she had snuck a taste of it at some modeling party and then learned the recipe), and sat amongst the ones making a game out of their drinking. At first he did nothing more than that. Just sat wedged between Mondo and Ishimaru, taking light sips of his lemonade concoction, watching them flip cards and give out drinks to the other players. He didn't catch the rules, and the more he sipped quietly, he found that it really didn't matter. Seemed like someone was always drinking regardless of what card they flipped or what the rules stated.

"I'm tired of this game…" Hagakure grunted as he looked towards the bottom of his cup, which was quickly be drained numerous times throughout the game. For a Super High School Level Shaman, he was pretty poor at determining the numbers on the opposite side of his cards. "Let's play something else, dudes…"

The other boys-Leon, Naegi, Ishimaru, and Mondo- began calling out ideas for different things to play, until eventually the conversation dissolved and they all began idle chit chat between themselves. They didn't speak to Chihiro much because it was odd that one of the "girls" was sitting with them to begin with. Generally the other girls would take this time to drunkenly explore the academy, lounge around in the rec room, or take selfies in whatever reflective surface they could find. Chihiro usually tagged along to hold whoever's hair if they got sick. "Yo, you alright?" Mondo suddenly piped up, unusually quiet for moments like this. "How much you had? You're red."

"Oh… um…" Chihiro mumbled as he stared down into the bottom of his cup, which was nearly empty. By the boy's standards, not nearly enough to make a dent, but for his tiny body, he was feeling it hard. He narrowed his eyes and then showed the contents of his cup to the biker. "That much…" The smaller of the two could feel his cheeks burning, and somewhere in the back of his mind he was embarrassed for drinking the entire cup that fast. But it tasted so good, just like lemonade, that he hadn't even noticed his speed.

"Be careful. Junko makes that stuff strong," the biker grunted, returning his attention to the guy's conversation, which had somehow been averted to the chickens upstairs in the gardens. Chihiro nodded slowly, attempting to concentrate his attention on the conversation, but Hagakure was going on one of his spiritual rants about the way the chickens looked at him when he went in there, and it was extremely hard to follow. Sober, his rants were hard to follow. It was a lost cause in this state.

The blonde sighed and absently leaned his head against the biker's shoulder, shutting his eyes for a moment. His eyelids were so heavy, why wasn't everyone else sleepy? "Yo…" Mondo murmured again, this time shaking his shoulder causing the programmer to flutter open his eyes. "You're… really red. You allergic or something? Never seen you drink."

"Uhhh… I'm… o…kay, I promise," the smaller one grinned with heavy eyes, refusing to lift his head from the biker's shoulder. Thanks to his inebriated state, Chihiro hadn't noticed how awkward he was being. "Can I have a little more, I think… I ran out, please."

Standing in his bathroom, he spit out the foam and rinsed his toothbrush under the faucet. There was his first mistake. No, first mistake was drinking in the first place. Asking for more was his second mistake. And a second cup quickly turned into a third, and after that, he couldn't even remember everything he had taken in for the night, but it was definitely too much. He rinsed out his mouth with a nearby cup and then shut the faucet off. His throat burned from the vomiting. He hoped nothing else snuck up on him because he was tired of getting sick. It was like his body was punishing him for even drinking in the first place.

Sniffling loudly, he lifted his head to stare back at his reflection. He used the back of his hand to wipe the mascara from beneath his eyes, the black smearing against his skin. His cheeks began to dim, but his eyes still stung with tears. He may have resolved the problem of his upset stomach, but the headache and the fact that Mondo knew his dirty little secret weighed heavy in his body. How was he even going to walk the hallways again? Would the biker tell everyone? He was surely upset… not only did Chihiro "lie" to Mondo about his gender, but he drunkenly led him on. Mondo was angry… but would he be angry enough to tell everyone he kissed another boy?


	2. Chapter 2

The light from the bathroom shut off as a much disoriented Chihiro clumsily stumbled his way towards his bed. He collapsed into it with a heavy groan, shutting his eyes tightly to suppress the headache thudding within his brain. His blankets felt warm, crumbled from the bodies that once lay atop them and he breathed in the scent of his perfume and Mondo's skin. With a shudder, he wrapped the blankets around himself, burying his face into the pillow. He wanted to sleep, but with the pounding headache and disconnected memories flooding his mind, it wouldn't come soon.

After the boys' game had dissolved and the small boy had made enough awkward, slurred requests for more to drink, Mondo walked the drunken kid to the kitchen. The biker clicked on the light and slowly made his way towards the fridge, jerking it open and searching for the pitcher of the hard lemonade. Chihiro leaned against the door frame with blushing cheeks and a clumsy smile, holding the cup out before him. "Here you go!" he then yelped, tossing the plastic cup across the way in hopes that it would land on the counter. It bounced against the counter top, knocking over a couple of empty beer bottles meant for recycling before tumbling to the ground, splattering what little drink was left inside on the floor. "Ooops…"

"What are you doin'?" Mondo grunted, hearing the commotion behind him but keeping his attention intent on the fridge. He spotted the pink pitcher towards the back of one of the shelves, snatching it up and turning around just in time to watch Chihiro bend over to retrieve his cup. In one swift movement, the smaller boy leaned over, popping his head hard against the counter top before immediately falling to his knees. Mondo set the pitcher down, his eyes going wide as Chihiro covered his face with his trembling hands. "Whoa, whoa, watch it!"

It was almost instant. Just a second ago, Chihiro was giggling like a fool, and now tears were streaming down his face. "Lemme see," Mondo offered, his voice picking up as he also clumsily got to his knees before the kid. He brushed his fingers across the other boy's forehead, parting his hair to reveal a large red spot where he had connected with the counter. "Hey, hey, stop cryin' now…" Chihiro peeked through his fingers at the gentle touch, the biker's fingertips gracing over the bruising area of his skin. It stung but it would be fine a few minutes from now, but in his state, it felt like the end of the world. "You're cryin' all your make up off."

The smaller blonde let out a trembling sigh and the red embarrassment flushed his cheeks. Bringing his tiny fingers beneath his eyes, he attempted to wipe away the tears and mascara, only smearing it all over his cheeks. Mondo smiled from the corner of his lips, before turning his head away. "You look like a raccoon," he chuckled, standing up completely and offering a hand to the little one on the floor.

"Does it… look okay?" Chihiro sniffled, rubbing his hand along his forehead. The pain was already starting to dim, but now he just felt dizzy. He glanced down, noticing his cup was still at his feet, rolling gently from side to side before coming to a stop at his toe. "Ohh… my cup…" As if he just forgot about knocking his head against the counter, the programmer reached down again to retrieve it.

Before he could even get about an inch bent over, however, Mondo pressed his hands on the smaller of the two's hips, lifting him off the ground and setting him gently on top of the counter. Chihiro was taken by surprise, throwing his hands on the biker's shoulders with a soft squeak, staring at the man before him. He was strong, but careful, at least at the moment. "Park it," he barked accidentally, not wanting any more accidents to occur. The blonde winced at the sudden anger in the other man's voice, bowing his head down as if he had gotten in trouble.

Of course, now laying in bed alone, Chihiro now remembered why Mondo had gotten so loud and stern with him after hurting himself. It wasn't that he hurt himself. It was the fact that Mondo had let himself get close enough to a girl to put his hands on her. Chihiro once remembered Sayaka gossiping to the other girls that apparently Mondo had difficulties speaking to girls, especially ones that he liked. Naturally, he was a loud, boisterous man who liked to shout even when joking with the other boys, but anytime he yelled out of anger, everyone knew what he was mad about.

Chihiro had never thought anything of it before because he had never directed any of his "anger" towards him. Half the time, Mondo never spoke a word to the programmer unless they were partnered or grouped together against their will in class. Even then, the biker would find something else to occupy himself with instead of making small talk with Chihiro. But when they had gotten the opportunity to be alone for once…

The blonde let out a heavy sigh into the pillow, breathing in the scent of the man who once shared this space with him. What could have possibly been interesting about him that Mondo would care for him so much? Chihiro was quiet, frail, and spoke of things that the biker couldn't even begin to understand. Programming and computers was boring to pretty much everyone else in the academy, except for Hifumi, but he never went that deep into computers besides the internet and drawing programs. So what was it that Chihiro could have said or done that would make Mondo even the least bit infatuated with him?

After Mondo had scooped up the cup from the floor, cleaned it out, and refilled it for his drunk companion, he pulled up a chair before the counter and popped open another beer for himself. The two of them sat in an awkward silence, Chihiro attempting to nurse the headache brought on by the brush with the counter by holding his cold cup to his forehead in between sips. Mondo had snatched up a small bowl of little candy coated chocolates left on the counter, sorting through it to pick out the colors he liked, despite that it didn't alter the taste.

Chihiro stared at him for a long while, his hazel eyes glazing over for a moment as he zoned out. He had never really looked at the biker because he always considered it rude to stare, and plus it left him less chance of people paying attention back to him. Mondo was the kind of man Chihiro would never grow to be, regardless of how hard he trained or how he dressed. He was tall, with wide shoulders and strong arms. Every time they were in gym together, Chihiro took notice of the other man's strength, especially when Mondo would get in trouble for being too aggressive during their games. But still, he was strong. He also had really piercing dark eyes that the tiny boy had never really taken notice of until now. The more he stared, the more he couldn't help but think of how handsome the man was.

Taking in a sharp breath, he pulled the cup away from his forehead and instead brought it to his lips to swallow down the silly thought. What was he thinking? Thinking another man was attractive… He took a huge gulp of his hard lemonade, darting his attention elsewhere within the kitchen. He had never been attracted to anyone, too busy with his own weaknesses to think about thrusting his inner demons on anyone else. "Want some?" Mondo murmured, thrusting the bowl of candy in Chihiro's direction. He shook it around a bit, the little candies jolting around in the glass container.

With a slow breath in his cup, Chihiro focused his attention back on his fellow classmate. Mondo stared up at him with a sideways smile, his cheeks full of candy like a woodland creature. The programmer couldn't help but choke out a little giggle before reaching into the bowl and snatching up a small handful of candies. "Thank you…" he murmured bashfully, setting his already half empty cup beside him on the counter. He absently swung his feet against the counter before crossing his legs at the ankles and patting down his skirt with a free hand when he realized that he was at a pretty precarious angle. Licking his lips, he popped a candy in his mouth, averting his attention elsewhere once more.

Mondo scooped a handful of candy for himself before setting the bowl back on the counter. "Check this out," he smirked, leaning back in his chair. He tossed a candy into the air, moving his head slightly in an attempt to catch it in his mouth. But he overshot it, the candy flying over his head and scattering somewhere behind him on the floor.

"Very talented," Chihiro giggled in a sassy manner, immediately sucking in his breath at his own sarcasm. He covered his mouth with his hand, hiding back a timid smile.

"Okay, well, you try then, miss!" Mondo ordered with a pointed finger thrust in the other's direction. The programmer squeaked, shaking his head hastily because he knew he couldn't do it. Even sober, he didn't have that kind of coordination. The bruise growing on his forehead proved he didn't have it drunk. "That's what I thought." And with that, Mondo tossed another candy in the air, this time missing again and knocking himself in the nose.

Chihiro's smile turned sideways as he took his hand from his lips, staring at the candy gathered in his palm. Mondo always appreciated it when Ishimaru challenged him at seemingly mundane things just for bragging rights. Taking a piece of candy from his palm, Chihiro tossed it in the air and leaned his head back to catch it. Like his classmate, the candy flung high over his head and disappeared somewhere behind him under the stove. He glanced over his shoulder with a frown, returning his attention to the biker. "See, you can't do it either…" the man grunted with a smirk, tossing yet another candy into the air, almost catching it before it tumbled off his lip and down the collar of his jacket.

Narrowing his eyes, the smaller of the two felt the challenge zing in his heart and he plucked another candy from his palm. Mondo found the candy within his jacket and instead of trying to catch it through the air, he just simply popped it in his mouth, waiting for his opponent's move. Chihiro focused on the candy, like he was going to receive a score for his candy catching ability, gingerly tossing it high over his head. He tilted back a bit, just enough to catch the piece of candy on his tongue. Whipping his head forward, he showed off his catch with the candy wedged between his pursed lips.

Mondo grunted, standing in his chair as the programmer quietly gloated with a smile, just about to slide the candy into his mouth with his tongue. Before he could manage, however, Mondo leaned in and planted a somewhat aggressive kiss on Chihiro's lips, stealing the candy away with his own. The smaller of the two let out a high moan, his entire body tensing up in surprise at the sudden lip lock. Mondo relaxed his lips and left the kiss, briefly pressing his forehead against the other boy's aching one. With hazy green eyes, Chihiro just stared, cheeks ablaze and body trembling

The silence between them grew thick and with Mondo pressed so close against him, the only thing Chihiro could hear was the thud of his own heart threatening to break out of his ribcage. He could feel the other man's warm breath against his lips. What did he do? Return it? Jump off the counter? Cry? Luckily, a distraction whipped itself around the counter.

"After we get more drinks, I think we should-" Junko's voice erupted into the kitchen, Mondo immediately drawing away and turning his back to the programmer like nothing had even happened. The blush across his face and the sweat gathering in his palms stated otherwise. "Oh," the blonde smirked, crossing her arms over her busty chest, pressing her index finger against her chin. Behind her stood Sayaka and Celes, Sayaka giggling profusely at their discovery. "So this is where you have been hiding, hmm, Chihiro?" the model pressed with a sly tone, making a little kissy face towards her classmate.

Chihiro blushed and looked away, absently searching for his drink. He brought it to his lips, drowning down the taste of candy and Mondo's tongue. "She needed more to drink, so I was helpin' her out. Knocked her head on the counter. You guys might wanna check on her." And with that, Mondo swept out of the kitchen, heading off to find the other guys.

"You are drinking?" Celes murmured quietly, a nonchalant glance gracing her face. The three girls surrounded Chihiro with a flutter of giggles and smiles. "We didn't know where you had gone."

"It's because she's been in here all night making out with Mondo," Junko laughed, and quiet loudly as she noticed the candy scattered all over the floor. The boy blushed, staring into the contents of his cup. Arguing with them was no use. They were going to believe what they wanted. Besides, it was half truth now. "Naughty girl."

Chihiro rolled over in bed, covering his face in embarrassment despite that there was no one in the room. He didn't think the other girls had actually seen anything and it was just simply Junko making a big deal out of a small situation, like she always did. But now, with her free mouth, the rumor had probably been spread amongst the other students. Regardless of if they knew his gender or not, words were going to run rampant that they had been caught romancing in the kitchen. Drawing his fingers away from his face, he stared blankly at the ceiling. His vision was still blurry and laying in the near darkness caused him to feel dizzy once more. Drinking was so disorienting, and replaying the night in his mind just felt like one huge out of body experience.

His head turned slightly to the left and through the dim light brought on by the night light in the bathroom, he could see Mondo's coat hanging over the nearby chair. On the floor were Chihiro's shoes, and a little further away was one stocking he managed to get off upon coming in the room. Mondo must have forgotten his coat in his quick haste to get away from the boy he once thought was a girl. The boy he was once sharing intimate glances with. The boy he had been kissing, and more than likely, plotting much more dangerous things with.

Just another thing that would bring them another awkward confrontation. He contemplated getting up and tossing the coat into the hallway, pretending that Mondo had dropped it out there, but he was afraid of being seen by any of the girls, causing more rumors. Right now sleep just seemed for the best. But the second he closed his eyes, the rest of the night continued to play like some terrifying horror movie.

After the awkward accusation by the girls in the kitchen, eventually most of the group had gathered together and began making their way upstairs. "Asahina and Sakura are already there," Sayaka stated as she guided Chihiro up the stairs by his arm, both of them taking each step slowly to avoid the nasty mistake that sent Naegi tripping down the stairs during the last party. Chihiro held tight to the handle along the wall, his other arm linked with Sayaka's as they journeyed towards the second floor. Occasionally he would peek behind him at Hagakure, who was a drunk, stumbling fool after his intake from the game. He was in no condition to catch anyone should they fall. And even further behind him was Mondo, his hands in his pockets and his attention on his feet. He hadn't said a thing since leaving the kitchen.

"Where are they?" Chihiro mumbled, counting the steps in the back of his mind. Finally, they reached the top, a purple glow surrounding the hallway before them. To their left were the changing rooms, which led into the pool. Ahead of them were a couple classrooms and the library. Chihiro hoped they were heading for the rec room on the next floor. He could only be so lucky.

"The pool, of course," Junko smirked, unbuttoning her top before they even reached the changing room. She yanked her tie from around her neck, dropping it to the floor. Once she had gotten the last button undone, she tossed her shirt to the floor, turning around to face the others in her almost bare-chested glory. Leon sputtered on his drink and Chihiro brought a hand before his eyes. "What, you going to tell me you haven't seen the goods before?"

"We have all seen your "goods" before. You make it a point to display them every time we change out for gym," Celes stated coolly, adverting her attention to some of the boys who were currently drooling over the model's confidence. No sooner did she drop her shirt did Junko remove her skirt and slip into the women's changing room. Celes quickly followed behind and Sayaka began to tug Chihiro towards the locker room.

As he watched the other girls begin to disappear within locker room, Chihiro suddenly realized a major problem. He didn't want to dress out. He didn't like swimming. Not because he couldn't swim, but because he had things he couldn't hide in a swim suit. Letting go of Sayaka's arm, he leaned against the open doorframe of the locker room, pressing his hand against his aching stomach. "Come on, Chihiro!" Junko called from the inside before Sayaka promptly closed the door before her friend decided to remove any more clothing.

The young boy watched the other few boys head into their locker room, Hagakure nearly tripping over Junko's skirt before he stumbled inside. The room before Chihiro began to blur violently as the thought of his secret getting out to his other classmates in a drunken mistake. His head ached and not only where he had knocked it against the counter. It was throbbing and he was dizzy. He had drank too much and too fast. "Hey," a voice muttered and the young boy felt a strong arm against his shoulder as he began to slump forward, collapsing both his own hands against his stomach. He felt sick. Not only was the alcohol dimming his brain, but the sugar and dizziness was eating at his stomach. "Chihiro, you okay?" The blonde glanced up, seeing those piercing dark eyes staring back at him with quiet concern.

The programmer stared at Mondo with dizzy tears welling in his eyes, remembering their encounter in the kitchen. How his hands felt against his waist, the way his tongue slid between his lips… The girls were in there waiting for him to come change, but his mind just grew heavier and heavier, and his stomach began to churn. With bright red cheeks and a trebling hand, Chihiro reached out and grabbed his fellow classmate by the shirt. "I… I… I'm going to be sick…"


	3. Chapter 3

"There ya go," Mondo mumbled in between the violent sobs from his fellow classmate who was currently leaning over the toilet, one hand over his tiny stomach, the other attempting to hold back his messy bangs. The biker ran his hand along the younger boy's back, leaning his head back against the bathroom stall door. With the way they had both drunkenly stumbled into the restroom, they had landed in a way that Chihiro was kneeling between the biker's legs, Mondo sitting with his body against the side of the stall. They had crashed inside that way together, and in all the fuss of Chihiro nearly vomiting before even reaching the bathroom, and Mondo making sure the kid was alright, they hadn't bothered to fix their position. "Let it out. Happens to everyone once inna while…"

The blonde sniffled loudly through a thick sob, not even sure what was just said to him. Everything was spinning and he reached back and grabbed tightly to whatever he could to stay grounded. He felt like he was just going to fall over, despite that the walls of the bathroom stall and Mondo would keep him in place. Chihiro hadn't even noticed he was grabbing the gang leader's knee. "I don't want… to drink… ever again," he sobbed into his trembling hand, sure that everything he had drunk that night had already come up. From behind him, he heard a deep chuckle and immediately felt even worse. Now Mondo was laughing at him? How could he have been so stupid? Drinking was not for him.

Removing his hand that was perched on Mondo's knee, he began to string it through his hair, feeling the sweat gathering on the back of his neck. He felt disgusting, his throat burning and his chest sore from heaving. The unpleasant taste that gathered on his mouth made him want to be sick all over again, but he was sure there was nothing to choke back up. Coughing slightly, his sobs began to dim, but the room continued to spin. The overhead light was much too bright and although there was no music, no talking, no sound inside the bathroom, he could hear a buzzing. His head was pounding. "All done?" Mondo questioned, his tone enough to elicit a squeak from his small classmate. Chihiro whipped his attention over his shoulder, quickly pressing a hand against the bathroom stall to keep himself steady.

The silence between them grew thick as Chihiro realized the precarious position they had fallen into. He was so concerned with actually making it to the bathroom that he hadn't even noticed he had dropped to his knees right in Mondo's lap. The other man was so close, Chihiro's back just about pressed against the biker's chest. The sensation of being so close was enough to make him shake, his already quivering body letting out a heavy shiver. The blonde opened his mouth, but then realized his breath was probably awful. He pressed a trembling hand over his lips and mumbled quietly, "I want… my toothbrush… please…"

"Ya room's all the way across the school," Mondo grunted, having grown quite comfortable on the bathroom floor. Since their pass through the hallway and up the stairs, the alcohol caught up with him, and once he sat down, it flooded his brain like a tidal wave of dizziness. Sitting down actually felt worse than being active at the moment, but he was afraid if he stood, he would get sick like his fellow classmate. But those adorable hazel eyes were staring big at him, welling with budding tears of embarrassment. "We ain't gonna make it that far…"

"Please," Chihiro mumbled once more through muffling fingers, bringing his other hand over his lips now. Whatever got him out of this bathroom stall quicker. The cramped space and the feeling of being so close to the biker were making his stomach churn again. Was it sickness, or was it attraction this time? He didn't want to find out.

Eventually after quiet murmurs and whimpers, Mondo was pressured into leaving the bathroom, but their journey was a slow one. It took nearly two minutes just to get Chihiro and himself to their feet, and even more to make it out of the bathroom door without stumbling over. Mondo was handling just fine, with a few fumbles here and there against the wall, but the poor blonde couldn't get his shaking legs to keep up. They made it slowly to the stairs and Chihiro clutched hard to around Mondo's arm and the wall, bracing himself quickly. The abrupt stop nearly caused the biker to drag them down the steps, but he cautiously took the first step, turning around to face his travel partner. "Ok?"

"N-n-n-no…" Chihiro murmured, staring down the long flight of stairs that looped around to the bottom. He was never going to make it.

Mondo noticed the look of fear in the little one's eyes, feeling the tight grip of the other boy's hand around his wrist. It was the kind of strength that came from being absolutely terrified. "Just step…"

"I'm going… to fall down…"

"You'll be fine, come on," Mondo grunted, tugging on him slightly in attempts to get him to budge, but Chihiro refused, rather wanting to stand and wait until his drunk disappeared than go down these steps. He had seen one too many tumbles down these steps from others before, and luckily no one had ever broken anything, but Chihiro didn't want to be the first.

Narrowing his eyes, the biker knew they weren't getting anywhere unless he took initiative. Leaning over, he swept his arm beneath Chihiro's legs, the other wrapping around his back, heaving the tiny boy into his arms like he was cradling a child. The blonde squeaked at the suddenly motion, his arms clinging tightly around the other man. "W-w-w-ait, wait, put me d-d-down!" he yelped, but at this point, they were descending the stairs. Despite the fear rushing through his drunken body, the programmer couldn't help but notice the intense care the biker took in getting them down the steps. He also then noticed his skirt dangerously hiking up his legs, and he furiously tugged it down with one hand before latching his arm back around Mondo's neck.

Once at the bottom, Chihiro fidgeted his leg a bit as a silent invitation to be put down the floor, but Mondo didn't give, carrying the boy down the hallway towards their destination. In his mind, the programmer was slow, and he didn't have the patience to wait on the small, stumbling boy. If he waited any longer, he was going to get sick. "Almost there," the biker grunted, readjusting his arm beneath Chihiro's back so that his head was a little higher up. The blonde stared at the man holding him, bringing a trembling hand over his mouth when he remembered they were on a journey for his toothbrush. This academy was too big.

Shutting his eyes from the sudden pain that jolted in his brain from both the alcohol and the contact with the kitchen counter, Chihiro let his head drop against Mondo's shoulder, feeling a little falter in the man's walk. When he opened his eyes, even through the dim lighting of the hallway, he noticed the blush spreading across the biker's cheeks. Why was he blushing? He was the one who picked him up. He was the one kissing him the kitchen. This was his fault… He was so warm.

They eventually made it to the room, which had been left unlocked as Chihiro trusted basically everyone within the academy. Not that he had anything in his room worth stealing. The other girls weren't interested in his clothes, as he was much tinier and traditional compared to the others. And all his electronics were password guarded and of no interest to others. Once inside, however, as he slid his weight from Mondo's arm, he swore he could hear the lock click behind them. The boy's feet hit the ground and he braced himself with trembling hands against the other man's chest. With an arm behind his back, Mondo fumbled for the light, clicking it on, and the closeness between them dissipated as they both turned away to shade themselves from the light. "Shit, that's bright," Mondo groaned to himself, making haste towards the bed where he immediately sat down.

Chihiro winced, the sudden light causing his head to throb. "Yes, it is," he stated sharply, reaching out to shut the light back off, leaving them in just a dull glow from the bathroom. A nightlight he had kept since childhood. Not because he was scared of the dark, but because that small flicker was comforting. He oftentimes fell asleep with his laptop open, anyway. It was very similar. "I'll just turn… the bathroom light on, okay…" he then murmured softly, watching Mondo remove his heavy coat from the corner of his eye. He was really making himself comfortable… Brushing his hand against the wall, he guided himself to the bathroom, turning on the light, this time more prepared for the intense glare to burn his brain. He fluttered his eyes closed for a moment, turning his body away from the bathroom door.

Once he opened his eyes, he nearly choked, seeing that Mondo had now removed his shirt, drunkenly lying back against the programmer's neatly made bed. "W-w-what… are you… doing?" Chihiro murmured shyly, but was unheard over the murmur of the overhead fan in the bathroom.

"Mind if I just lay here a second… gettin' dizzy, ya know?" the biker mumbled, his voice trailing off towards the end as he laid almost completely still, his long body taking up most of the bed. He didn't even look over for a response as he was clearly about to pass out. Chihiro nodded anyway, despite deep down knowing he should just hurry him out of his room. The two of them being alone in the kitchen caused enough trouble. He didn't even want to think about what could occur with them sharing a bed.

He turned to face the mirror in the bathroom, nearly shrieking in horror at his own face. Like Mondo had mentioned in the kitchen, he looked like a raccoon, his mascara melting on his face from the crying earlier. The area around his eyes was dark, and his cheeks red with warmth. Whipping on the faucet, Chihiro grabbed a nearby wash cloth and cleaned up his horrid make up, cursing the girls for talking him into wearing it. He hated it, but fitting in made him do some silly things sometimes. And if it meant being the girl's porcelain doll, then fine. Further bury the secret. He at least wiped up the mess beneath his eyes before tossing the cloth somewhere on the floor, snatching up his toothbrush. His throat burned and he could taste the acidic lemonade on his teeth.

After a minute or two, he had scrubbed his mouth to satisfaction, cleaning out the sink with a burst of fresh water before scooping up a few handfuls for himself to drink. Too bad he didn't have a cup because he was sure the both of them could use water. Jerking up slightly, he glanced into the other room where Mondo had shifted intensely, now carelessly wrapped within the blankets, one leg hanging off the bed and his face buried into a pillow. It was unlikely the biker would try anything at this point, he wasn't even conscious. And there was no way Chihiro was going to carry him back into his room. Maybe sharing the bed wouldn't be too bad of a problem…

He slowly made his way out of the bathroom, stepping out of his flats and attempting to remove his stockings with just his feet. He braced himself against a chair, using his right foot to push down the left stocking, It slid down his leg and he stepped out of it, suddenly too lazy to remove the other, afraid of toppling to the floor. Chihiro wobbled towards the bed, he unbuttoned his cardigan, letting it slide from his shoulders to reveal a sleeveless button up blouse beneath, and decided that was enough clothing removal for the night. He was too lazy for pajamas, but too scared to get down to his underwear with a man lounging in his bed.

The blonde stood there, feeling his knees begin to buckle beneath him. Mondo had unconsciously left just enough room for Chihiro to slip in beside him, but unfortunately left no covers and just half a pillow to share. "Ummm…" he murmured to himself, pressing a hand against his chin, the other patting the empty part of the bed. He could always go without blankets for the night. He was still extremely warm, anyway. Crawling into the bed, he rested his head against the empty half of the pillow, cuddling his arms against his chest. He stared at his drinking buddy for a long while, feeling his body become heavy against the bed, his mind feeling as though it were floating about the room.

"How's ya head?" Mondo suddenly spoke up, scaring the smaller one slightly. Chihiro fluttered his eyes closed briefly, turning his head slightly so that his bangs slid off the bruised spot of his forehead. The biker absently reached out, brushing his fingers along the blonde's forehead. Chihiro sighed softly at the other man's touch, his eyes opening wide and bright. Sleep was quickly overruling any sick feeling and being so close to Mondo was actually becoming more of a comfort than he thought. "We shoulda put ice on that, looks bad…"

Chihiro only sighed in response, loving how gentle his fingertips felt. He never thought someone so rugged and angry all the time could be so kind… and warm. With a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, he eagerly scooted forward, reaching out for the covers that had been stolen by his bigger classmate. He had never felt attracted to anyone before, but after the clever kiss in the kitchen, the literal sweeping him off his feet in the stairwell, and the soft touch against his forehead, Chihiro was growing quite attached to the little crush fluttering in his heart.

There was some awkward shuffling in the bed as Mondo attempted to pull the blankets from around his body to casually share them with his tiny classmate, Chihiro making himself comfortable against the pillow and the contours of the other man's body. The grazing of his bare arms against the biker's naked chest was enough to send tingles flying through his body, which were only intensified when Mondo brought an arm around the kid to bundle them together beneath the blankets.

And just like wildfire, they caught. In just the second that Mondo was hovering over the smaller of the two, he crashed his lips into Chihiro's, the small programmer responding with a shiver and hands that reached up desperately to run along his crush's chest. At first, Chihiro had thrown his hands up as some sort of drunken defense, wanting to push the biker away before they made anymore careless mistakes, but once his fingers slid along bare skin, he knew the damage was done. He knew he shouldn't have crawled in bed with him. He KNEW something was going to happen. But he didn't want to say stop now.

Chihiro whimpered through the kisses, letting his hands crawl from the terrain of his partner's chest all the way around his neck. The blonde had never felt attraction so strong, and in hindsight, it was probably seventy five percent the alcohol, but he remembered Hagakure telling him once that when people get drunk, their inner desires come out. It was one of the only more likely things the shaman had ever ranted, but now pressed against the disheveled bed, wrapped within the arms of his fellow classmate, lips pressed so hastily together, he couldn't help but feel there was some sort of truth behind it. Deep down in his stomach, he had always had a silent thing for Mondo, but never, ever dared to bring it up.

For a moment, as he felt Mondo ease into a better position so that their bodies were much closer, Chihiro doubted that this was of any importance to the biker. Yes, Mondo had been incredibly awkward around the ladies, and Junko liked to spread bad word, saying he may just use them and run. So maybe that's what Chihiro was becoming. Just someone to crash his body into for the night. Just another girl to get tangled up in and then brush it off the next morning. Whatever he was, it felt amazing to be wanted so badly by someone when on most occasions, Chihiro was desperately trying to direct attention away from himself. To think someone would be so enamored with him was both embarrassing and alluring, so much so that when they finally broke lips, the blonde just gave a sigh of contentment when the biker trailed kisses along his neck.

And then it hit him like a freight train. The way Mondo's hands were traveling down the side of Chihiro's body, although gentle and swift, were beginning to beg for things that the blonde wasn't quite ready to give up, sober or drunk. On top of that, there was one important detail that the programmer had neglected to mention during the course of the night. "Mondo," he breathed heavily, the once euphoric sensation of the other man's lips on his skin jolting through him like an electric chair. "We have to stop, you don't know," he thought, but the words wouldn't come out, the drunken panic setting in as his breath picked up, his chest heaving. A dangerous hand fled down his body and Chihiro let out a squeal of anxiety causing his partner to glace up in a heated mess. "Stop…"

"What?" Mondo grunted, sounding more upset than aggravated. He could see the tears welling in the little one's eyes as Chihiro attempted to direct his attention elsewhere, the passion of their near love making dissipating from his cheeks until his skin was pasty white with nerves. "Too fast? I'm sorry, too fast, I should have asked ya first, but I just-"

"No," Chihiro murmured, attempting to wiggle his way comfortably from beneath the other man. With how close they had gotten in their drunken mistake, their bodies were now tangled enough that something he didn't want noticed could easily be brushed against, even from beneath his billowy skirt. Yeah, it was a little fast. Not something Chihiro was expecting. But that was nothing from what he was finally ready to admit. "I'm… I am… not…" He swallowed hard, feeling a sob begin to bubble up in his throat. Just kick him out. Act scared, confused, drunk, something. This could easily be solved with a childish cry, a plea for everything to stop, and a quick apology to send Mondo out the door. But he really, really liked Mondo, or so he thought… and lying, at this point, wasn't something he wanted to continue doing. "Not a girl…"

Mondo braced himself with his elbows on either side of Chihiro's head, his deep violet eyes at first going wide with surprise, but then he let out an amused chuckle. "You're shittin' me… that's not funny."

"I'm… a boy… it's the… truth," the programmer heaved out, feeling his heartbeat picking up pace. His breath was growing thin and he felt like he could pass out at any moment. Not a single person within this school knew his secret, aside from the headmaster, who was sworn to secrecy. In fact, not many people at all knew his secret. Until this day, his father and the headmaster knew… he had hoped to admit it in a better light.

The two stared at each other for an intense, silent moment, and Mondo could see the fear scattering all over the smaller boy's face. Instantly, he sprang from the bed, gathering up his shirt from the floor, nearly tripping over himself as he hurried to the door. "Mondo, wait!" Chihiro called out from his position on the bed, tossing the blankets aside and messily attempting to sit up. The room was still dark, only lit by the glow of the bathroom, and for a second, feeling betrayed and disoriented, the biker was finding it hard to make it to the door. "I-I-I'm sorry…"

"You're sorry…?!" Mondo crazily spun around to face the young boy, his fists balled in anger at his sides. He wanted to punch something, knock over a chair, anything, but he stood in anger, his entire body trembling. Chihiro could tell the yelling was about to begin, and not because Mondo was just being shy. He was mad. "You… you lied to me!"

Chihiro shuddered, bringing a hand to his aching forehead. He was warm, almost fever warm, and he could feel the pounding begin in his skull once more. All the dizziness that had calmed before swarmed back like a gathering of wild bees. The buzzing, the pounding, the fear, the anxiety… "I didn't lie…" Technically, no, he didn't lie. He just never said anything. The sobs bubbled over and he dropped his face into his shaking palms. "I just…"

Growling loudly and thrusting his fist in the programmer's direction, Mondo stammered out, "You knew where this was goin' and you didn't say a fuckin' thing!" Chihiro continued to cry, feeling the tears dripping through his fingers. The more he sobbed, the more lightheaded he felt. And for the first time in his life, he felt enraged. This wasn't his fault. He didn't start this. When he started drinking tonight, he had no intention of ending up snuggled in bed with his half naked classmate. "You lied!"

"I didn't ask you to kiss me!" Chihiro immediately retorted as all the color was restored to his face, quickly turning a violent shade of red. The burn in his throat returned, from drinking, from throwing up, and now from screeching as loud as his poor little lungs could. He didn't start this. Mondo did by kissing him in the kitchen. Mondo did by carrying down the stairs. Mondo did by lounging half naked in his bed. But Chihiro never said no… because he liked it. He liked him. "Mondo, please, just…"

"No!" the biker bellowed before finally storming his way out of the room, slamming the door with extreme force.

Shaking his head suddenly, Chihiro jerked up in bed at the recollection of the night, remembering how painful that slam came down on his heart. He had been alone for a while now, the room dark with only the glow of the nightlight in the bathroom to aid him. He wasn't sure how much time had passed since he had finally laid down, but it had been long enough that the drunk had almost wore off. Now it was just a headache and a painful pang of regret surging in his body. The smell of Mondo's skin had worn from the blankets and pillow, and any trace that the man had once shared this bed had dissipated. The mattress had now conformed to Chihiro's small body, and the warmth had fled from the area. It was very cold now.

Chihiro shut his eyes, feeling weary of sleep now because it would only bring the morning. Class wasn't until the day after tomorrow, so at least that gave him a twenty four hour buffer from seeing anyone, but he would have to face everyone eventually. And Mondo. The programmer only hoped that the man would be honorable enough to keep his secret... even if he hated him now.


	4. Chapter 4

What time was it? The room was still dark with nothing but the dim night light in the bathroom peeking through a halfway closed door. Although feeling worlds better than the night before, Chihiro came in contact with the consistent drilling within his brain. His stomach had settled but now he felt like every movement was a shot to his skull. The dark room was disorienting and he couldn't see a clock anywhere in sight. His laptop had been perched atop his dresser across the room, so he couldn't quickly check there either. If he had to guess, it was probably sometime before noon. He slowly sat up, letting his small legs dangle over the side of the bed. There was clothing and shoes strewn everywhere and he became aware that he was only wearing one stocking. Grumpily jerking it off, he tossed it towards the chair across the way. The sheer stocking slid over the biker's coat. The boy stared for a long while. He was going to have to return that.

He stood up, reaching his hand out to snatch up the coat. In a fit of childish rage, he swept it off the back of the chair and threw it across the room. Violence wasn't something he succumbed to often, with his timid, quiet nature, but every now and then, screaming and throwing a fit felt like the answer. The chair kicked over with the sudden force, dropping to the floor with a heavy thud. Shivering all the way up his legs, past his spine, and into his head, the sound caused the ache to grow fiercer and despite the memories of last night flooding his brain, Chihiro knew getting angry wasn't going to fix a thing. What had been done was over now. He was stupid, he made a seriously stupid mistake, and now all that mattered was trying to fix it. And maybe getting some breakfast and ibuprofen to suppress this headache.

After taking a quick, warm shower to wash the sweat and dirty memories from his body, he collected himself in a pair of very baggy pajama pants and an over sized sweater. Normally he wouldn't have come out so sloppy, but he had seen most of them the day after a night of drinking. They all looked like a mess, and most of the time, some of them showed up to breakfast in whatever they fell asleep in. He would fit right in. He stumbled down the hallway, noticing that not a single person was in sight. If he wanted to, he could easily return and toss that jacket into the hallway like it had never been in his room at all. But he was already too far from his room, and as he slowly slipped past the last few doors, he noticed Mondo's. It was shut, as everyone else's and for a moment the blonde felt his stomach bubble in anxiety. What if the man was in the cafeteria? There was no way he could sit in the same room as him, regardless of how big that room was. Not today.

Trudging past, he kept his nervous attention forward, noticing that it was unusually quiet this morning. Quiet except the pounding in his head. Normally there was chatter and loud hollers from the cafeteria after a party. Usually those loud hollers belonged to Ishimaru and Mondo, however… meaning one of the two must not be in the cafeteria. With a heavy sigh, Chihiro pushed his way inside, wincing at the bright sunshine that enveloped the room. Once he could settle his attention without feeling like his retinas were burning, he saw a small collection of his fellow classmates spread about various tables. The mess from the previous night had been cleaned, most likely by those who had not been drinking the night before, and possibly a sweep through by the headmaster and a few other staff.

Sweeping his gaze over, he noticed that both Mondo and Ishimaru were absent from breakfast this morning. To the far left of the room was Togami, facing away from the crowd with a book perched in his fingers. As much as he didn't enjoy breakfast with everyone, he made it a point to come join the day after an event because being around the moaning hung over fools was entertaining to him. Chihiro made sure not to glance towards him on his way towards the kitchen to avoid any mockery. Fukawa sat across from him with her head low, scribbling down some words in a decrepit looking notepad, also only joining breakfast when her white knight would. She most likely mocked in her head as well.

Entering the kitchen, Chihiro spotted Sakura and Asahina within the kitchen, making tea as they always did in the morning. Asahina, however, was perched in a chair, her forehead pressed firmly against the counter, not even aware that anyone had entered the kitchen. Chihiro frowned briefly to the much bigger woman, keeping his gaze lowered, careful not to make much noise. If Asahina was feeling in any way that he was, he didn't want to cause any further headaches. "Good morning, Fujisaki-san," the fighter murmured kindly, reaching out to gently grace the swimmer's back with her large palm.

"M-m-morning…" Chihiro grunted, not wanting his grumpy attitude to rub off on everyone. If this was another side effect of drinking, he definitely didn't want to do it again. He popped open the fridge, and stared at the contents inside. He wasn't sure what he wanted, but anything edible sounded like a good idea.

"I noticed you partook in the activities last night, Fujisaki-san," Sakura then added, causing the small blonde to peek over his shoulder. He stared for a long while before an embarrassed blush spread across his cheeks. The fighter had been tending to Asahina all evening; he had assumed she hadn't really been paying much attention to anyone else. Hopefully she didn't see anything suspicious happening between himself and Mondo. "I suggest you drink lots of water. Your body is probably dehydrated."

Nodding slowly, the boy let out a small grunt in agreement, figuring he would down a few cups of water before trying to eat. He didn't want to upset his stomach, although it was growling in insistent hunger at the moment. "Maizono-san was kind enough to make breakfast. There is toast and eggs in the cafeteria," the fighter continued to explain quite calmly, her voice quiet, but strong. Sometimes Chihiro was incredibly ashamed to be around such a stunning woman. Because of his complex, he used dressing as a girl to make his weakness acceptable. Sakura made it very obvious that women could be very strong. All the girls here, in fact, had incredible strength in some way or another. Chihiro just felt inferior, regardless of his gender. He cursed his stupid thoughts and slammed the refrigerator door shut, hearing a few things clattering around inside until they settled.

Asahina jerked up from her position, narrowing her bright eyes and groaning loudly. "Why… would you do that?" she murmured before shaking her head rapidly, realizing that it was little Chihiro in the kitchen with them. The blonde quickly filled a cup of water before dashing out of the kitchen, embarrassed by his irrational fit. Breakfast and then right back to his room sounded like a great idea. Less risk of bumping into anyone with this sort of attitude. Less chance of crossing paths with Mondo. He needed a day of sober thinking before fixing this problem.

As soon as he stepped out of the kitchen, a pair of hands roughly grabbed him by the shoulders. "So I saw you and Mondo last night," came a devious voice as he was blindly led towards a table on the far right of the cafeteria. Without looking, he knew it was Junko who was guiding him and within seconds, he was plopped down at the table with Sayaka and Celes. The three who had caught them last night in the kitchen. Bringing his cup to his lips, he began to sip his water in hopes that any questions could be answered in silence. "Saw you both go into your room last night…"

Choking loudly on his water, he pulled the cup away from his lips and pressed his hand beneath his chin where the water began to dribble down. "W-w-w-what…?"

"Yeah, saw him carrying you into your room last night," Junko smirked, leaning into the young boy and growing awfully close to his blushing face. "So, lose your v-card last night?"

"Interesting term," Celes murmured after a sip of tea.

"Junko, that's so rude," Sayaka snapped, offering Chihiro a serving of toast.

Growing an even deeper red than before, the boy reached out for a piece of toast, attempting to get up from his chair, but Junko was keeping him in place with an arm strewn over his shoulders. "It's not rude. I'm just curious," the blonde murmured with a puckered bottom lip, patting the programmer on the head. "Of anyone, I didn't expect you to be bringing boys back to your room…"

"I-I-I-I-I didn't do… anything like that… I swear," he only half lied. No, they didn't have sex, but they were well on that track had they been any more drunk… and if he were a girl. "I had gotten sick upstairs and… threw… up," he mumbled in embarrassment before taking another sip to clear his throat. "And he helped me back to my room so I could grab my toothbrush. Really…" Junko was one for getting in everyone's business, but she had never asked such intimate details of the boy before. The most personal thing the girl every asked was the kind of shampoo he used. Chihiro chose to keep his personal demons inside, so to the model, he was boring. She wanted to go where the drama was.

The model stared at him for a long while as the smile dimmed on her face. "Seriously? Like I'm going to believe that."

"Junko just wants to confirm she isn't the only one here who has lost her virginity," Celes said in a catty nature and the blonde immediately huffed loudly, thrusting her finger in the other girl's direction.

"You know that's not true. My virginity is a serious matter and it's got a lock on it!" she exclaimed while pointing below, drawing the attention of basically everyone in the room. Togami gave out a muffle chuckle without even looking up from his book, doubting her heavily in his mind. "Well, whatever you did, you pissed him off," she then murmured, sliding back in her chair, wrapping her arm back around Chihiro's small shoulders. The smaller of the two huddled down further in his chair, keeping his cup against his lips in an attempt to hide behind it. Judging by how nonchalantly the other two girls were taking the news of Junko having seeing Mondo and Chihiro go into his room together, the programmer guessed that the word was already out. Not a moment was spared in letting the other classmates know there was a fling springing between two of them.

"Nonsense, he is probably just hung over…" Sayaka then stated to ease the situation, noticing how uncomfortable the young programmer had become. The boy set his cup down on the table and picked at the crust of his toast before popping it into his mouth. Coming out of his room was a horrible, horrible idea.

Celes cocked her eyebrow as she pulled her cup of tea away from her pursed lips. "Junko should know better than anyone about being a ray of sunshine in the morning," she smirked, eliciting a dirty look from her gorgeous classmate. "I have never heard such fowl language so early in the morning than I did when you woke up from under the bleachers in your undergarments."

"I thought someone would at least help me to my room or give me a towel! But no, just leave me there!" the blonde yelped, shaking her fist in the gambler's direction. Now that Junko's arm wasn't wrapped around his shoulder, Chihiro found this as his chance to escape. Grabbing a second piece of toast for his upset stomach and snatching up his cup of water, he jolted out of the chair and made haste towards the cafeteria door, wanting to get out of the eyes of his fellow classmates. He could feel the way Fukawa was glaring at him from the corner of the room, most likely thinking what she thought about all the other girls. Whore. Harlot. Hussy. Whatever her creative, fiction brain could muster.

The programmer's feet were quick as he fled from the cafeteria, knowing that if he didn't keep a good pace, the model would come chasing after him begging for more answers. He thought no one saw. They had all been in the pool. And what does she mean that Mondo was pissed off? Did she see him leave the room later? What did the other students think? Chihiro shook his head rapidly, seeing his room up ahead in the darkened, red hallway. Before he could duck away, safely, however, there was someone blocking his way.

"Fujisaki-san, good morning," Ishimaru yelped in a persistent voice, standing before Mondo's door and actively ringing the bell. Chihiro nodded and quickly rushed by, but as he guessed, the prefect was not going to easily let him go. "How are you feeling? The other students reported that both you and Brother were sick last night and retreated to your room."

The blonde awkwardly attempted to swerve around his adamant school mate, feeling the nervous sweat begin to gather in his palms. He knew as well? After the drinking game at the table the night before, Ishimaru had actually disappeared to bed as the result of drinking too fast and feeling ill. That was probably why he was so alert this morning. He had crashed a lot earlier than the rest of them, had rested up, and was now ready to be himself the morning after. This meant personally checking on each individual student to ask their status. Ishimaru continued to tap the doorbell, waiting for his best friend to come out. "Did he sleep in your room…? Because that is prohibited in this school, you know."

"He didn't… I'm fine…" Chihiro grunted with his head low so that his shaggy bangs covered his red face. His eyes nervously searched the floor for a path around the prefect, but it seemed with each sloppy dodge to the left or right, Ishimaru was easily able to counter it, standing right in his way. "Ishimaru… please… I…"

Suddenly, the door beside them whipped open with a loud crash against the wall, Mondo standing angrily in the door. "Stop ringin' the damn bell, man! My head hurts bad and-" The biker's violet eyes widened when he noticed the small programmer desperately avoiding eye contact, trying to disappear down the hallway.

"Sorry. I was just making sure that everyone was feeling alright after last night's activities. I rang earlier but you had not answered. You and Fujisaki-san were the only remaining students I had not seen," Ishimaru informed him and the blonde easily slipped by, heading towards his own room. He didn't catch the look on Mondo's face. He didn't even have it in him to look the man in the eye. He didn't want to see the anger, disappointment, and shame lurking in those piercing eyes. "You know sleeping in another student's room, especially a girl's, is prohibited."

Chihiro choked on his own breath as he finally reached his door, lingering his hand over the door handle, waiting on the other man's response. "Who said I slept over in that kid's room? I'm too tired for this," Mondo groaned before slamming the door shut, shaking both the students in the hall down to the bones. Kid? That's what he called Naegi and a few of the other guys. Not that he had ever given Chihiro any sort of affectionate nick name before, but kid was definitely not what he wanted to be called now. With a quiet huff, he twisted the door handle and pushed the door open, despite Ishimaru's calls from behind him.

"I'm fine," he grunted absently, pushing into his own room before quietly shutting it behind him. With his back pressed against the door, he slid all the way to the floor until his bottom hit the ground, his knees up against his chest. He wasn't fine. He was worse off now than when he left his room before. Not only did Mondo seem not pleased to be awake, it was obvious that in his tone alone, everything had changed between them. Whatever flutter of a chance Chihiro once held in his heart that maybe things between them could work had dissipated and he knew that try to fix it was more than likely a lost cause. He was just one of the guys now. Just a kid. A kid that Mondo was going to ignore more than what little conversation ever happened between them before last night.

And even worse, apparently the entire school knew they had been together last night. Who knew to what extent, though. Hopefully everyone just assumed Junko was being herself and spreading awful rumors to keep the attention off of whatever embarrassing situation she found herself in the night before. It was only about half the time that people actually believed her nonsense. Hopefully she wasn't going to attempt to play match maker like she did last time there was accusations that one student actually liked the other.

Resting his chin against his knee, Chihiro stared towards his feet where Mondo's jacket was in a bunch by his toes. Until he got rid of it, it was just going to be a consistent reminder of what happened. A reminder of how close they had gotten, a reminder of how for a second, he felt so safe and protected in someone arms. He felt attractive and confident. And now it was just nothing but a sharp reminder that his weakness had ruined something that could have been so great. Keeping the jacket wasn't going to solve his problem.

He slowly got to his feet, picking up the jacket as he stood. He folded it very neatly, taking in a long breath. Sitting in his room all day wouldn't solve anything, either. Chihiro knew that he would just sit here, letting the memories of last night fester within his brain until he went to sleep crying again. He had to talk to Mondo.


	5. Chapter 5

After a few hours holed up in his room, Chihiro finally gathered his courage and a laptop bag with the coat stuffed inside and swept out into the hallway. He was dressed a bit more presentable than before, in a pair of khaki shorts and the over-sized grey sweater from the morning. He patted down his hair and glanced carefully through the dim, red hallway. There was no one around. It was midday now, so he assumed that those who were still affected by a horrendous hang over had gone to take a nap, and others were keeping busy around the academy. Hopefully no one came creeping out of their room soon.

Scattering down the hallway, Chihiro kept his bag close to his hip, his trebling hands wrapped tightly around the handle. He had pondered all day about what he was going to say to Mondo to attempt to fix their detrimental mistake last night. His mistake. Technically Mondo had done nothing wrong, except for make incredibly aggressive moves in Chihiro's directions. Ones he didn't really counter, and actually welcomed eagerly. It was Chihiro who hadn't been honest the whole time. So apologies were in order. And an explanation, if the biker cared to hear it.

He came to a quick stop before the man's door, nervously outstretching his hand to tap on the ringer. His finger lingered over the button and he darted his hazel eyed attention back and forth down the hallway. Still alone. No Junko peeking around the corner to make another horrible accusation. No other students passing by to confirm any rumors she had created. With a sharp breath, he pressed the button and then leaned forward to listen to the intercom. His entire body was trembling, and for a moment, he considered dashing down the hallway back to his room for safety. But that wouldn't solve anything. He had to be brave for once in his life. He had spent so long running from his problems, though. That wouldn't be any different from the normal.

"What?" spat Mondo's disgruntled voice from the other end, sending a chill down his spine. The young boy withdrew his finger, biting down on his lower lip as he pressed another button.

"It's me… Chihiro… I… want…" he began slowly with his lips close to the speaker, expecting to get no answer after this. "I want to… talk… please…" He released the button, standing up straight and waiting for the door to pop open. There was no response. Not even static from the intercom to let him know Mondo was thinking about responding. Dead silence flooded the hallway. Mondo wasn't going to let him in.

The seconds passed by, agonizing and slow, and Chihiro took a step back. Retreating to his room was for the best. The biker wasn't going to give him any time from here on out, not with the terrible feeling of betrayal that was most likely filling his body. From down the hall, the programmer suddenly heard a click of a door handle, and he knew it was time to run. He couldn't be caught lingering outside Mondo's room.

Just as he was about to make his escape, the door in front of him crept open, Mondo standing with a towel in his hands, his tired, violent eyes narrowed. Nervously and without invitation, Chihiro pushed into the man's room and closed the door behind him. He was so concerned about being seen in front of Mondo's door that he didn't even realize how desperate he seemed bolting inside. "Sorry I took too long. Just got outta the shower," the biker murmured, turning his back on the small boy as he ran the towel against his head, attempting to dry his now messy hair. Chihiro rested awkwardly with his back against the door, clutching his laptop bag shakily against his chest. "What'cha want?"

With his hands clutched so close to his chest, he could feel his heart beating so hard. It was going so fast, he thought he may pass out. "I… I brought… your coat back," he stammered with a blush spreading across his cheeks like wild fire. Taking a hand from the bag to hold it at his side, he accidentally dropped it at his feet. He fell to his knees, keeping his head low as he dug through the bag, retrieving the long biker jacket. His eyes focused on the intricate golden designs laced upon the back. Whatever kept him from looking at the jacket's owner.

A hand reached down and suddenly snatched up the jacket. Mondo tossed it across the way in his messy room, the coat landing among another pile of clothes that were headed for the laundry eventually. "That it?" he grunted, again turning his back towards the smaller of the two. Chihiro shakily got to his feet, heaving the bag over his shoulder. He knew that running from the room meant that this would go unsolved forever. It was obvious that Mondo was angry. He was furious, and the blonde felt lucky that the biker was being so "nice" about it. He wasn't yelling, but he also wasn't holding him and telling him it was alright. He was biting his tongue. And Chihiro could leave. Leave things unspoken between them. Leave the explanations down, the threat of his secret coming to light resting on Mondo's anger. Leave their friendship and whatever could have been at the door. It would be awkward and hard to swallow at first, but they would get over it. Chihiro would learn to run away like he did from his other problems.

But he knew down in his heart, he didn't want to run this time. "No… we need to talk, please," Chihiro breathed slowly, his heart still beating furiously. "I… was going to… tell everyone eventually," he then muttered, everything he had rehearsed in his room flooding together and rushing out of his mouth. "But I didn't know how to tell anyone because I knew people would treat me differently," he continued then, his face beginning to sting when the tears started. The tears always started. If he wasn't hiding himself within the crowd, he was crying.

"The problem is you didn't say anything to me," Mondo grunted, patting his hand hard against his own chest, although resisting turning around. It was like he was trying to hide his own anger by not looking at the programmer. "You were letting me get too close and-"

"You came onto me!" Chihiro yelped, this time throwing his bag defiantly to the ground. It was empty at this point as he had simply used it to conceal the jacket on his way to Mondo's room, but he threw it down with enough force that it made quite the thump when hitting the ground. It was enough to cause the biker to throw a curious glance over his shoulder. The programmer was visibly shaking, from nerves, and budding anger, as he stood pressed against the door with his tiny fists balled at his sides. "We were drunk… I drank too much and I forgot… I grew up dressing like a girl to hide my insecurities… and last night I was so happy that someone was giving me such attention that I forgot…"

Mondo turned halfway with his hands stuck in his pajama pockets, feeling the heartbreak ringing out in the small one's fragile, cracking voice. "I never thought anyone would ever be interested in me because… I don't like who I am," Chihiro murmured, bringing the back of his hand against his cheek, rubbing away the thick stream of tears dripping down his skin. His voice fell quiet and he sobbed into his hand then, averting his attention towards the floor. "I'm weak… I got picked on when I was little because I wasn't like the other boys… they didn't like to play with me… so I dressed like a girl and now… I'm just…" Pressing both hands against his face, he sighed heavily into his palms, feeling his warm, shaking breath scatter all over his heat splotched skin. The area beneath his eyes stung and he shut his eyes tightly, freeing another river of tears.

The biker took a heavy seat against his unmade bed, resting his elbows against his knees. He was angry. He didn't like people lying to him, and of all people within the academy, he didn't figure Chihiro would be the one to deceive him so bad. He felt sorry for the kid, though. Knowing that yelling and being aggressive wouldn't help their situation, he attempted to hold down his rage for the sake of Chihiro's fragile state. Regardless of how the secret came to light, it was an extremely huge thing for him to admit. "So do you like guys… or do you like girls because you're a… guy?" Mondo questioned with half a shrug, trying to make sense of everything that had been announced to him within the past day. It was hard to stare at the adorable boy before him, with his longer blonde hair styled so gently. The one he was used to seeing in skirts and knee high socks. Bows and make up from time to time. It was hard to look at him and think he was just having a conversation with another guy.

Chihiro took in a few quick huffs, slowly dropping his hands from his face. He rubbed his eyes with his sleeves, frowning heavily. "I have never liked anyone," he admitted, tugging at the edge of his sleeve, which was now soaked with his tears. "I have never thought to be attracted to anyone, boy or girl… I was too concerned with hiding who I was to… try to involve anyone else." He wrapped his trembling arms over his stomach, awkwardly shifting his weight against the door. He wanted to sit beside Mondo for a little bit of warmth, and possibly some comfort, but stepping any closer would be pushing his luck. "I actually thought I would be alone forever… get out of school and just… keep to myself. With my computer programs and stuff…"

"Why'd you sit with me last night, then? And drink with the guys?"

The boy wavered on his heels, shrugging. He had no intention of misleading any of the guys last night by sitting among them. Their game seemed much more interesting than following around the girls on their drunken escapade around the academy. Plus, he had seen the way some of the girls teased one another when drunk. They could get downright catty and mean with one another. He actually felt safer getting drunk with the boys because he knew they would take care of him… thinking he was a girl. "I never spend time with any of you… I don't know much about any of the boys… so I thought I would try hanging out with you…"

There was a long silence between them and Chihiro considered just running out of the door. He had done nothing but make a fool out of himself, even if he had gotten somewhat of a point across. All he did now was show Mondo that he was weak. Crying like a child, and cowering behind his hands and insecurities. But Mondo wasn't yelling. He wasn't cussing and throwing his fist in the programmer's direction. So he remained, a little hope lighting into his heart. "Sorry I yelled last night…" Mondo finally spoke up, running his hand through his damp, messy hair. Since just out of the shower, it hadn't been styled and just hung loosely around his neck and over his forehead. "You told me and I… was so shocked that being mad was the only thing…I could do."

Chihiro frowned deeply, bringing his fist before his lips and resting his chin against his fingers. He apologized again in his mind, but couldn't muster any more than a squeak. Mondo's reaction last night was enough to make him sick, quiver from head to toe. It was terrifying. He had only seen Mondo get THAT angry with one other person, which resulted in a near fist fight between him and Leon. But the biker swore to never hit a girl… when the secret was let out, Chihiro expected to get punched. "I got mad cause… I really like you."

Like? He liked him? Last night he assumed it was just the alcohol bringing about such feelings between them. Although Chihiro's heart had been lit aflame with the kisses and the touches, the blonde assumed that Mondo was just being a guy. The kind of guy all the girls judged him to be. Grimy and rude. He never thought someone like that could actually… like him. Surely he didn't share those same feelings now, knowing the girl he once crushed on was a boy. Certainly Mondo wasn't that kind of guy. The blonde narrowed his eyes, clearing his throat. It burned again. "Liked?" he mumbled, cocking his head slightly to the left.

"Liked… yeah," Mondo admitted with a small blush springing to his cheeks. He turned his head to the side, staring at a pile of dirty laundry that was collecting in the corner of his room. For a moment, he felt embarrassed that his room was in such disarray, but he was sure Chihiro wasn't focused on the state of his cleanliness right now. "I was drunk and stupid, and forcing you into things you probably wouldn't want sober and… then I got angry."

"You didn't force me," Chihiro mumbled, letting his hands drop to his sides now. He pressed his palms against the back of the door, pushing himself away from it slightly. A minuscule smile tugged at his lip for a moment through the tears, but it quickly vanished. He didn't want to make light of anything that happened last night. They were two guys who made out drunkenly last night. Whereas Chihiro was almost alright with that fact, Mondo probably felt violated. "I should have… said something about… being a boy. You had every right to yell."

"Not like that," Mondo grunted sharply, angrily clutching the bed sheets within his palms. "I never asked you… never could even get the courage to speak to you… ask you out or anything, and I tried to bed you in a night… Guy or not, you don't deserve something like that… so, uh…" He took in a deep breath, shaking his head as he closed his eyes. "I ran out of there before I hurt you… physically. I scared myself and I know I scared you."

Standing from the bed, he headed towards the door, his hands cocked on his hips. He tossed a sideways glance towards the door, disappointed by the entire event. Then a smile came to his lips. Chihiro stared at him timidly, pressing his back against the door once more. Just seeing his lips curved in that manner made a small grin appear on his face as well. A confused one, but a smile. "So let's just… call it even then. You're sorry for lyin', I'm sorry for gettin' angry. We forget this whole thing happened…"

Chihiro nodded slowly. That wasn't exactly how he wanted things to go, but he expected it. It wasn't like he thought Mondo was just going to up and completely accept the fact that he had shared an intimate night with another boy, and then come running back into his arms wanting more. But the fact that he at least accepted Chihiro for who he really was beneath those skirts was enough for now. "Yeah, we can forget," the blonde mumbled, brushing back a strand of his thin, wispy hair behind his ears. "Just promise that you…"

"I won't tell anyone," Mondo quickly finished with a sure nod. "That's your thing… not my place." He suddenly extended his hand out towards the young programmer, staring at him with a kind smile. Chihiro felt warm and nervously outstretched his own hand, shaking it firmly. "Man's honor."

"Thank you," the programmer murmured softly, immediately turning away and disappearing into the hallway with his laptop bag. He didn't think to check for anyone gathered around as he raced towards his room. The conversation ended better than he assumed, but even with Mondo's support about his inner demons, it didn't change the fact that now the programmer's little heart was all aflutter with emotions for the biker. Emotions that were now going to remain unrequited as they probably wouldn't speak normally until graduation where they would part ways, and Chihiro would wander into the real world, scared of the next person who took interest in him.


	6. Chapter 6

The week droned on, every class period painstakingly dripping by like watching paint dry. Even though Chihiro sat towards the front of the class with three desks separating him from Mondo, just feeling his presence within the room made the young boy mentally exhausted. They hadn't spoken a word to one another since their talk within the biker's room, and despite that the programmer had been accepted by Mondo and the risk of his secret getting out had evaporated, he felt scared. Scared that his entire life may end up this way. He wouldn't have the courage to tell people the truth, inevitable deceiving them and winding up alone.

Even the girls had left him alone as he had often spent most free time retreating to his room, delving into his computer programs and games to free his mind from thinking about telling everyone his darkest secret. With only a few more years of high school to go, he didn't want to continue lying to anyone. What happens when another one of the boys turned their attention to him? Surely he couldn't make the same mistake twice, and not everyone was going to be as faithful as Mondo was in keeping the secret. Chihiro never even asked, and he already knew worlds of supposedly private information about many people within the academy simply because of Sayaka and Junko's loose lips.

But telling everyone meant being looked at completely different. He liked to think they were all close enough friends that confiding in them with such a dark story would result in praise and support. But he knew that wouldn't be the case for everyone. Some of the girls would feel betrayed, especially since Chihiro has been inside the girl's changing room when they dressed out for gym. Not that he ever dressed out in front of them. He always hid behind lockers, or within bathroom stalls, or just simply changed in his room. But he had seen some of the girls naked, a level they felt comfortable getting to in front of the other girls. To find out a boy had secretly seen them…

Chihiro sighed loudly as he heaved his laundry basket into his arms, nudging his bedroom door open with his foot. Class had ended a few hours ago, and with all his studies and homework completed, it was time to get down to his weekly cleaning schedule. He wandered down the hallway with his basket held at his stomach, thankful the laundry room was just at the end of the hall. He had meant to do his laundry earlier in the week, but because of his reluctance to leave his room and his brain scattered in all different directions, he had forgotten.

Using his back to sweep open the laundry room door, he scattered inside, letting his basket hit the floor with a loud thud. The room was empty, as were all the machines, meaning he would be alone for the evening. At least for now. This was perfectly fine with him. He quickly got to work, sorting his clothes between the machines, throwing in detergent, and starting them up before taking a seat at the table in the center of the room. At his feet were his now empty laundry basket and his laptop bag, which he immediately yanked the device from. Setting it against the table, he flipped it open and stared blankly at the screen.

Since the incident, Chihiro had calculated several plans about how he would go about telling his fellow students. He considered sitting them down one by one, little by little, and letting them know. Starting with the more easy going, understanding people, such as Naegi or Sakura, would be fine initially as he expected they would be kind enough to keep the secret. But once he got to people such as Hagakure or Leon, he knew the secret would slip to others, and it wouldn't be shared in such a delicate light.

Telling them all at once had passed his mind a few times. Maybe telling them all during lunch and then quickly retreating to his room to let the news settle amongst them. But then there would be Junko incessantly beating against his door for answers, most likely trailed by others. And having to see their faces of shock, curiosity, and possible disgust… He was sure he would die from shame.

Not to mention, then Junko and the other girls would probably press the issue on Mondo, as they had been caught sneaking around together. They would ask if he knew, which he didn't. So the word would come around that Chihiro had essentially lied and lured him in. Chihiro groaned loudly, leaning forward and pressing his head against the keyboard of his laptop. The device let out a few beeping alarms as the same keys continued to be pressed until the programmer finally picked his head up. This was frustrating. "Why couldn't you just be normal?" he thought to himself, just about to slam his laptop shut when the door to the laundry room swung open. In swept Mondo, dragging a bag and a basket of dirty clothes behind him. He glanced briefly towards the programmer before immediately looking away without so much of a grunt. They used to "accidentally" do laundry together on the same day all the time. Chihiro began to wonder if it were really an accident at all, or if that was some sort of way the biker was initially trying to prove his crush on him. Not that there was ever any conversation. It was always silent between them, as Mondo took the time during the wash cycles to take a nap, and Chihiro indulged in his laptop. Now it was filled with silence and a heavy weight in the young boy's heart.

Chihiro usually did his laundry on Monday, however. It seemed coincidental that Mondo happened to be late on his laundry as well. The blonde said nothing, though, clicking on one of the programs to keep himself busy and quiet. He watched the program start up, occasionally switching his attention from the screen towards the biker, who was absently dumping his laundry in the machine with no rhyme or reason. Colors with whites, darks with lights, everything together in one massive clump. Chihiro had considered many times before helping him sort his laundry, as he usually had color mishaps between shirts and the like, but he was too timid to offer a hand. The blonde regretted never speaking to him during their time together. It could have been a great opportunity to confide in the man much sooner, instead of letting the mistake happen.

Mondo sat down heavily in the chair on the very opposite end on the table. He leaned back, immediately propping his feet up against the table, a couple of the magazines dropping to the floor. He looked at them, but didn't bother to pick them up. Instead, he crossed his hands behind his head and closed his eyes, leaning back fully in his chair with the intention of taking a nap like he always did in this warm little room. Knowing he wasn't looking, Chihiro snuck another glance. He looked tired, like he hadn't slept all week. It was only a couple days ago that Chihiro had finally released enough in his mind to get a good enough night's sleep. He hoped Mondo wasn't sharing the same stress anymore.

The front legs of Mondo's chair hit hard against the tile floor, startling the young programmer into accidentally tapping in the wrong command on his computer. Groaning loudly, the taller of the two pressed his hand against his forehead, rubbing furiously at his temples. He got like this during class most days when he either didn't understand the material, or hadn't slept the night before. Seeing as they were learning nothing, Chihiro knew he hadn't slept. And trying to take a nap here wasn't going to happen. Swallowing hard, the blonde cleared his throat and stared intently at his computer before muttering, "You look tired."

He didn't look up, but he could feel Mondo's violet eyed glance dart in his direction. "If you want to take a nap in your room, I can come get you when your laundry has finished," he then continued politely, his voice no louder than the water sloshing around in the machine. When his offer went unanswered, the smaller of the two finally looked away from the screen, seeing that Mondo had now rested his forehead against his folded arms on the table. It was the first thing either of them had said to one another since the talk. A kind offer, but Chihiro should have known it would be unrequited.

Mondo quietly shook his head against his arms before sitting up. He was anxious, nervously fidgeting in his chair. Chihiro had never seen him this way before. When he was angry, he would stand incredibly still, with the exception of a shaking fist or two, as if he were bracing himself for an inevitable fist fight. But Chihiro had never actually seen him nervous, shifting his weight from one side of the chair to the other. Resting his elbow against the table, but then immediately removing it. Occasionally stealing a glance only to find something more interesting in the room to look at. Mondo didn't come here just to do laundry. He came at this time on purpose. "When you gonna tell everyone?" he questioned with a grunt, but keeping his voice down in case any passing students were lingering.

Chihiro took in a long, shaking breath before reaching up to gently close his laptop. He wasn't doing anything, anyway. Just pretending to mess around with programs to keep from intense conversations or awkward silence. "I don't know," he murmured softly with his head low, his wispy bangs hanging over his hazel eyes. He stared at his knees, which were nervously shaking as he bounced his foot against the ground. "I… don't know. I have been… thinking about how to do it all week."

"Haven't seen you outside of class all week," Mondo then stated, sitting up firmly in his chair. It was the first time since entering the room that he had been so still. But even the foot he propped up against the table was twitching just a bit. "You sick? Girls said you were sick during gym…"

Chihiro raised his eyebrows briefly. He noticed? He asked the girls during class? Mondo was concerned about it? It was probably Junko offering up useless information because she was now keen on sticking the two together. Although the rumors had dissipated the day after hang over recovery day, she continued to press the issue, teasing Chihiro through some classes. "I lied," the blonde admitted. It was a common occurrence that he would get "too sick" to participate in gym. "I didn't want to change out that day… so I say I'm sick to get out of it."

Nodding, Mondo let his attention fall to one of the running machines. He brought his mouth open, as if he had something else to say, but remained silent before taking in a heavy breath. Chihiro stared at him, unsure if this conversation was over. There wasn't much else to say. Telling Mondo all of his plans to tell the others was useless until he was actually sure about how he was going to do it. And at the moment… he had ideas, but his most prevalent one seemed to be to continue to hold his tongue until they graduated. Then he could run so far away, never speak to any of them ever again, and keep to himself where it was safer. Less hurt feelings and deception that way.

Another fifteen minutes of quiet passed them by as they awkwardly sat across from one another, Mondo leaning back far in his chair and tapping his foot, Chihiro fiddling with the edge of his sleeve. One of the machines clicked off and the young blonde immediately jolted out of his seat at the chance to appear busy. He yanked open the lid on the machine, tossing his wet clothes from the first load into his basket, using his feet to kicking it a few feet to the right towards the dryer.

Mondo watched the boy intently, his small movements so feminine and delicate. It really was like watching another one of the girls that even now, after knowing the truth, it was still hard to envision the boy as actually being male. He grumbled to himself, pressing his hand against his forehead before looking away, staring at the magazines he had kicked to the floor earlier. "You usually…" Chihiro suddenly piped up over the rinse cycle on another load of laundry. "Do your laundry on Monday."

The biker averted his attention back towards his fellow classmate, watching the young boy tap away at the buttons on the dryer. The boy shut the machine door and then tip-toed back towards the washer where his second load had just finished a rinse cycle. The entire time, the young blonde kept his attention focused on the machines, not once letting a shy glance linger on Mondo. "I do?" he mumbled, sitting up slightly in his chair. He carefully let his feet come to rest against the floor, the front legs of his chair clinking against the ground. "I just do my laundry when I need to."

"I do my laundry every Monday," Chihiro muttered as he shifted his clothing from the washer to the dryer. "I have every Monday since we started coming to the academy…" He smiled to himself briefly, keeping his head turned away from the taller classmate. It was wishful thinking, assuming Mondo had "accidentally" come to do his laundry the same day as Chihiro with a purpose. Before their mishap, it was probably to get a quiet chance alone together. Maybe Mondo had come every Monday with the intention of chatting up the boy, and getting to know him better, but simply became too nervous to speak. So they always sat in a warm silence, exchanging occasional awkward glances, and a smile or two. That was before. That was when Mondo had a crush on him. Certainly wasn't the case now. "And then you started to show up on the same day… around the same time… to do yours."

The small blonde glanced over his shoulder with a tiny smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He briefly locked eyes with the biker before turning his head in the other direction, feeling like a complete idiot. Who was he kidding? Today, of all days, probably was a real accident. Mondo didn't like him anymore, and now couldn't trust him. "I'm sorry, I'm just being stupid," he admitted quietly, a long sigh fleeing his lips. A few machines down, Mondo's laundry cycle ended, the washer buzzing loudly before coming to a stop. Chihiro awkwardly lingered in front of the dryer as he heard his fellow classmate get up from his chair to retrieve his clothing.

Like always, the silence filled the room, the tension between them deafening now that there weren't as many machines going. Chihiro could feel the blush burning in his cheeks at his absurd assumption that Mondo had come here intentionally today to see him. Like the programmer thought, getting over what happened was going to be incredibly difficult at first, but he would get over it. His heart was still in tangles, wanting more caresses and kisses from a man he couldn't help but be attracted to. His brain knew better that anything of that nature was nowhere in his foreseeable future, especially from Mondo. As the weeks lingered on, eventually Junko would stop pestering, and the idea of having a relationship would dwindle. He would get over it. He would shove it down, forget about it, and let it burn up inside of him until it was just another horrible memory of his past.

"Telling everyone is gonna to cause a problem," Mondo suddenly muttered as he slammed his full basket of wet laundry on the floor between their feet. He cocked his hands on his hips, his head hung low as he just stared at his clothes, not even making the effort to start loading them into the dryer. Chihiro slowly nodded his head in agreement. It was what he feared the most. That more people would hate him after the news than support him, which would make life here at the academy hell until he graduated.

"I know…" the programmer hummed with his hand pressed against his chin. He welcomed the brief warmth that came from standing so close to his once fling, inching his way casually to the right. When their elbows accidentally touched, the blonde withdrew, his cheeks blazing like fire. "Stop flirting," he thought to himself, not even sure why he was trying. Nothing was going to happen. It was a lost cause. "Not everyone is going to… react the way you did." He paused, frowning briefly. "Or well, maybe they will react exactly the way you did when I first told you."

"I mean it's gonna cause a problem for me," Mondo interrupted, not wanting to be reminded of his irrational outburst that nearly caused him to punch a hole in Chihiro's wall. The smaller of the two narrowed his eyes, slightly offended by the man's comment. It was somewhat selfish of him to say, as after Chihiro let his secret out to the crowd, it was Chihiro who would be ridiculed. With the exception of a childish joke from his male companions, Mondo would be fine.

Inhaling loudly, Chihiro huffed out his breath and pressed, "Why for you?" He said it quite stubbornly before realizing he was acting out again. After secluding himself in his room all week to think about his plan of action, it was disheartening to hear someone else finding his personal demons to be a burden. But that was also selfish of him, as he had lied to Mondo pretty badly. "You can simply tell everyone you didn't know… because you didn't know. It would be the truth…"

"I told the other guys to stay away from you," Mondo then stated, still with his head lowered towards the floor. Chihiro noticed him shift his weight awkwardly to the left, nearly closing what little space was between them. The biker nudged his laundry basket with his foot, intently staring at the wet laundry inside. Sucking in a sharp breath, the programmer immediately felt his heart sink into his stomach. He told them what? Why would he tell them that? That means he went back on his promise and told them… His heart began to flutter, rapidly beating within his small ribcage. People knew. The boys already knew. That's why they had been so awkward, so eager to avoid him when he walked down the hallways this week.

Dropping his hands to his sides, the boy's tiny fists balled up and shook violently as hot tears began to form. "You told them to stay away?" he choked out slowly, the tears brimming on his eyelids before he fluttered them away with a flick of his lashes. "You… you told me you wouldn't tell them… you promised me you-"

"I never told them you were a boy," Mondo grunted in a harsh whisper, turning towards the boy and roughly grabbing him by the shoulders. He accidentally shook the smaller of the two, staring at him intently with a heated blush and a look of anxiety in his eyes. Chihiro released a series of shaking breaths, feeling his small body tremble in panic. Was he going to hurt him? Was he going to yell? The blonde attempted to sneak out of the grasp, but Mondo was holding him tightly in place.

"Then why would you tell them to stay away?!" Chihiro whimpered, shaking his head defiantly as terrified tears streamed down his lightly freckled, blushing cheeks. He wanted to run, run so fast back to his room. Back to the safety of his bed, his belongings, drowning in his secrets that he wished had never been shared. This all could have been avoided had he never drank in the first place. He could have kept quiet as he always did. He wanted to run. "You wouldn't tell them to leave me alone unless you told them-"

Before the rest of the words could flood through his trembling lips, Mondo leaned in and stole them away with the slip of his tongue, just like the piece of candy on that drunken night. Chihiro squeaked, but immediately melted into the lip lock, as he had been craving this sort of touch since their night together in his room. Despite his consistent attempts to push the desire from his head, Chihiro couldn't help but think about how inviting their passionate moment had been. How desirable and needed he felt. How safe and welcomed he was. It was the hardest thing to forget every night he laid down for sleep, especially when he could still smell the other man against his pillows.

Mondo's grip loosened on the smaller one's shoulders, and much like the night in the kitchen, he broke the kiss and rested his forehead against the smaller boy's. There was no intrusion from a group of chatty girls, no pain from the bruise that once rested there from his collision with the counter. Just soft, warm breaths exchanged between them as Chihiro opened his eyes in a hazy gaze. He stared at his classmate, pressing his hands against his own burning, wet cheeks, and he couldn't help the smile creeping onto his lips. Apparently Chihiro wasn't the only one with a secret.


	7. Chapter 7

The atmosphere in the room had completely shifted from awkward silences and short questions to a long stare and a gentle smile. Chihiro released his breath that he had been holding the entire kiss, his little fingers pressed against his budding cheeks. His tears had dried and he just stared, his hazel eyes wavering in desire and comfort. Mondo lingered with his forehead pressed against the other boy's, his eyes shut tight and his body shaking lightly. The same way it did when he was angry, but trying his hardest to suppress the urge to yell. "That's why it would be a problem for me," he muttered with his hands sliding briefly from Chihiro's shoulders to his neck where he brushed beneath the programmer's chin with his thumbs. "Because I really… really… like ya'."

Licking his lips briefly, Chihiro felt his heart's pace slow as he came down from the incredible high of being kissed again, and this time completely sober. It was just as confusing as the first time their lips touched, but this time he knew deep down in his gut that it wasn't just a fluke. It wasn't just an accident brought on by a night of drinking. It was intentional, and wanted, and incredible. The young boy smiled brighter than before as a wavering sigh escaped his lips. "Yeah?" he questioned, his little hands wanting to reach out and embrace the man before him. But he simply stood within the gentle touches of his fellow classmate, waiting on his next move. As happy as Chihiro was, it still seemed that Mondo was uncomfortable with his own demons.

And just as quick as it came, Mondo let go and stepped back a bit, turning away from the boy. "What am I doin'?" he grunted to himself, his fists balled in anger at his sides. Chihiro's bright smile instantly faded and his trembling fingers slipped from his cheeks, falling to his stomach. The biker began to mumble to himself, his body wavering a bit between turning around or rushing to the door. "This is fuckin' stupid," he then grunted beneath his breath, but loud enough for his small companion to hear. The blonde bit down on his lip, realizing that his foolish smiles and high hopes may have come too soon.

"It's okay…" Chihiro murmured, reaching forward to press a gentle hand along the biker's shoulder.

In the instant that his fingers made contact, Mondo whipped around and grabbed the programmer by the wrist. "It's not okay!" he shouted, his voice bellowing throughout the laundry room. Chihiro winced, the man's blind strength digging into the pale skin below his palm. "I was raised my whole life to believe I was a man… head of a biker gang, tough, mean… and now I'm falling for you?! A boy?!" His voice continued to rise in intensity and eventually Chihiro yanked his wrist away, drawing it towards his own body. He whimpered and back stepped until his body crashed into the dryer. This room, unlike their bedrooms, was not sound proof. Anyone simply passing by could hear this exchange.

"Please… don't be… so loud," he whimpered like a frightened animal, cuddling his now sore wrist against his chest. His big hazel eyes welled up with tears once more and the fear raced through him like the night of the mistake, when Mondo had yelled like he was ready to punch someone. The blonde braced himself for any angry swing, keeping his attention full and bright.

"Do you know what everyone's going to say when they find out?!" Mondo yelled, despite his classmate's timid and frightened request. His arms where thrown at his side and he thrust them towards Chihiro, which only made the boy cower back even more. "They're gonna think I'm weak! Weak cause I like another boy… and one like you, too!"

Chihiro clenched his hands tightly before his face, feeling the imprints of Mondo's fingers burn on his skin. "Please… don't," he almost whispered this time, and only because he knew Mondo was past the point of listening. The man was angry. Maybe at Chihiro, but probably at himself more than anyone. Chihiro remembered when he was young, unable to confront his own feelings. He would have temper tantrums, he would cry, toss stuff around in his room just to relieve his anger. Up until he discovered his love for computers and technology, the only way he could think to sort out his frustrations was by pitching a fit. Remembering being a child, on the play ground with his "friends", being pushed down in the dirt for being weak… Even now, as a girl, he was still seen at meek and timid. He felt his cheeks burning with anger, frustration, and disappointment. "You know what's weak?" he suddenly spoke up, tucking his hurt wrist behind his back. He was sure that as quickly as his forehead when it smacked against that counter, his skin was now bruised with the fingerprints of the biker.

Mondo's dark eyes narrowed and for a moment, his shoulders released some tension, seeing the stern look across his fellow classmate's face. It was then that his blind anger began to diffuse, and he noticed the tears streaming down the young boy's face. He had gone to that place again, that intense rage that caused him to black out on reality. And despite not hitting him, or meaning to, he had hurt the poor boy before him. His body began to shake, but he waited silently for Chihiro's response. "When you grow up unable to believe in yourself," the blonde murmured, rubbing his wrist behind his back and lowering his head. "When you aren't able to accept who you actually are… and you hide it. And it makes you angry. It makes you quiet. It makes you scared of anything and everything around you."

The biker let his arms fall at his sides and he felt a small relief throughout his muscles as he calmed down. Hearing the hurt tone in his comrade's voice, he felt guilty for causing such a ruckus. Chihiro was scared, he could tell in the boy's posture and the way he wavered on his heels as he spoke. "It's when you change who you are as a person just because you're scared of what everyone else says about you… it's not standing up for who you are, and covering it up with stupid lies just to… make everything okay… it's lying to yourself. That's what makes you weak," Chihiro continued, reaching up with his fine hand to drag the tears off of his skin. His entire body shook, because even though he was trying to put a little hope into Mondo's heart, he couldn't shake off his own insecurities to get his point across. Whereas this new revelation, Mondo liking another boy, was new to the biker, Chihiro had been putting up with his own issues since he was a child. It wasn't until now that making a change even seemed like an option. "If it's what you feel… you shouldn't lie to yourself about it."

The taller man bit down on his lip, feeling guilty for his rash actions. It was Chihiro's fault that he was having such confusing feelings, as it was hard enough attempting to prove his crush on him before Mondo found out Chihiro was indeed a boy… but trying to either push the affection aside, or get over the fact that he was nearly in love with another boy was not easy. Not easy for someone who was raised to not care for another person's problems. Not for someone who was meant to be a leader. "You can't live your entire life in self loathing," the small programmer whimpered, bringing his hurt hand towards his lips. He dropped his head briefly, his wispy bangs fluttering over his eyes like a curtain to mask more tears. "It's not a good way to live…"

Feeling like he was going to have a break down, Chihiro quickly whipped around on his heel in an attempt to make a break for the door. He could come back for his laundry later, but retreating to his room sounded like the best idea before Mondo got any angrier and Chihiro came off like more of a child. As he went to leave, though, Mondo reached out, gently grabbing at the boy's slightly injured wrist. "Let me see your hand," he spoke up, catching onto Chihiro's sweater sleeve, keeping in him place with a calm tug. The small boy eased up a bit, hearing the softer tone in his companions voice, but was still reluctant to stay still.

"I'm fine," he whispered, just above the sound of the dryer's tumbling laundry. Mondo continued to tug, however, pulling at the boy's sleeve defiantly. "I said I'm fine!" Chihiro then yelled, snapping his sleeve out of his friend's hand, thrusting his arm at his side. He stood in the middle of the laundry room, his body hunched over as he cradled his wrist against his chest. The boy couldn't even tip his head up to look the other man in the eyes. None of this would even be happening if Chihiro had just told the truth in the first place. If he could have just been stronger growing up. Not even in physical strength, but in confidence. If he had been able to fight off all the negative words and have a little faith in himself instead of hiding behind a curtain of insecurity, this wouldn't be happening.

Mondo sat heavily in a nearby chair, lowering his head towards the floor with his hands dropped between his knees. He sighed loudly, absently rubbing at the back of his neck. At his movement, the blonde glanced between his bangs and tears to watch the biker. They were both defeated. With a hard swallow, he slowly stammered forward, bashfully offering up his arm for inspection. He knew it was bruised. He could feel it. The biker picked up his head, reaching out to take Chihiro's hand within his own. There was a brief shock of warmth that flooded all the way up the smaller boy's arm and he immediately stood up straight at the quiet strength in just the simple holding of his hand. Pulling back the sweater sleeve, the taller of the two stared at the red marks left carelessly on Chihiro's skin. "Sorry…" he winced in a pained breath, embarrassed. He had done exactly what he had set out not to do when he had left Chihiro's bed room that night. He had hurt him. Pulling the sleeve back down, he released the tension in his hand, expecting the other boy to retreat. But he didn't. Chihiro held tight to Mondo's hand.

The hum of the dryer rang out behind them as they just stared at one another, the programmer slowly interlacing his fingers with his companion's. He brought his other hand to wrap around Mondo's strong fingers and mumbled, "Is it uncomfortable that I'm holding your hand?"

It was slightly uncomfortable, but not even for the fact that Chihiro was a boy. But because of the fact that someone Mondo had spent months secretly fawning over was touching him so delicately. Even after realizing Chihiro's secret, Mondo couldn't get over the feelings that had developed. This kid was smart, classy, polite, and a genuinely good person to everyone he ever met. He was adorable and graceful to the point where he would enter a room, and although the rest of the class would over look him, Mondo could catch him from the corner of his eye like Chihiro was a signal of light. He was everything the biker would never be. The only reason people ever stared at him was because he was getting obnoxiously heated over a small comment that challenged his pride or because he had gotten so angry over a test that the teacher was temporarily throwing him out in the hallway. No one came for him to help on homework. No one came to him for ideas. No one picked him first for group projects.

"N-n-no," Mondo responded slowly, a furious blush gracing his cheeks.

"Does it make you happy?" Chihiro's small hands enveloped Mondo's one strong one with impressive warmth, enough to send a shiver along the biker's back as he sat up straight within his chair.

"…Yeah."

Chihiro smiled and sunk down to his knees on the floor, keeping his body straight so they were about at eyelevel. He could feel Mondo's grip tighten around his grasp. "You shouldn't hide something that makes you happy," he murmured, staring at the way their fingers interlocked with one another. "If it makes you happy… I'm willing to hide my secret. I've done it long enough that…"

"No, no, you can't do that," Mondo grunted with a brief squeeze of his hand. "You just said you shouldn't hide something that makes you happy…"

"Hiding my secret to keep yours safe… and being with you… would make me happy… for once," the programmer smirked with his head lowered to hide his bashful smile. "Assuming… you actually wanted to… be with me… I… I would do that for you…" He squeezed both his hands tightly around his companion's before staring up at him with a timid blush and a brief smile spreading across his lips. The prospect of being in a relationship gave him hope for his future, even if it meant continuing to hide his gender from his fellow classmates. Hiding it with the purpose of making someone happy was better than hiding it in his own fear.

Surprise fled through his body when he felt something wet fall against their hands. Staring at the man before him, Chihiro found that his fellow classmate was crying. Tears were something he had NEVER seen in the eyes of Oowada Mondo, unless he laughed so hard that he couldn't help himself. Seeing the almost pained look across the biker's face, Chihiro did the only thing his body could think to do. He let go of their hand lock and threw his arms around Mondo's neck, clinging tightly to his trembling body. It didn't take the taller of the two long before he returned the embrace, burying his face in the crook of his partner's neck. His sobbing was quiet, consisting of only a few breaths and a grunt or two as he suppressed his emotions. "I won't put ya through that forever," he grunted, holding the small programmer within his strong, but shaking arms. "I'll get stronger so we won't have to hide…"

"You're already strong," Chihiro murmured with his chin rested against the temple of his fellow classmate. It took years for Chihiro to finally find the strength to tell another person, outside of his father and the headmaster, of his darkest secret, and although it took a little alcoholic influence and some pressing kisses for him to blurt it out in the most awkward manner, the boy was proud of himself. Someone else knew, accepted him, and even liked him. He wasn't sure how well he was going to be able to function in a relationship, especially with someone who was still so confused about the idea of it.

Drawing in a long breath, Mondo brought his lips against the small patch of revealed skin along Chihiro's jaw line. The blonde shivered, but let out a small giggle. A hopeful, bashful one. "I know you think I am… but… don't let me keep you from…" Mondo muttered out, his breathe warm and inviting against the programmer's skin.

Chihiro leaned back and pressed his finger against his companion's lips, shaking his head in brief defiance. "You got me to admit something to you that I couldn't bring myself to say to anyone else here," he explained, pressing his forehead against Mondo's. His small hands slid from the back of the biker's neck to his cheeks, keeping the man's attention focused. "And until you came into this room today, I seriously considered never telling anyone… keeping it a secret until I left this academy and then disappear from all of your lives… Maybe I won't tell them right away, and maybe I'll never tell them as long as I'm here with you… but, at least I'm happy knowing that you still like me."

Mondo bit down on his lip before a small smirk spread across his lips. He tried to bashfully look away, despite wanting to keep a hardened exterior through all of this, but Chihiro's hands kept him in place. "You make me happy, okay?" the programmer squeaked. "And that's what matters the most." And for the first time since the first kiss, Chihiro made the move and pressed his lips against the biker's. It was quick, but sweet as he was so nervous, a little giggle broke their lips. Chihiro wasn't sure how good of a significant other he could be, with his timid, meek nature, but he hoped that he would be good enough to help the biker. And eventually… accept himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for the comments and kudos. I am already two chapters into a sequel and will be posting that here shortly. I appreciate the support and hope you enjoyed this. :3


End file.
